Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our regular correspondent.)

WASHINGTON, Aug. -, 1887.
Civil Service Commissioner Edgerton' y
reply to the structures of Mr. Geo. VIM.
Curtis, ON the civil service system is all that
the true friends of reform have right To
expect, showing, rs it does that President
| Cleveland and the Democratic party have
| redeemed their pledges in that regard, nj
least 10 the full letter of the civil-service
act Ii is frankly admitted that more
Democrats than Republicans are appointed
because Republican politicians have fos-
| tered the false idea that members of that
party had no chance, thus, deterring many
from an examination, while on the other
hand, Democrats had nothing TO discourage
their aspirations Mr. Edgerton asserts
most positively that the POLITICAL opinion
Of the candidates for places are not known
in any case, and that all the names of those
who pass an examination are rated in the
order of merit on the list of eligiblcs. The
Democrats who have criticised the Admin
iStration for failing 10 'turn the raSCalS
out, ;" fast enough, should certainly find
some comfort III studying the returns of
decapitatiouS aS made 10y the Post Office
Department for the past three years, which,
rs Horace Greely would say, will bc
mighty interesting reading" During the
last fiscal year 3,04S officers were estab-
L sh ID discontinued l, 500 appoint
ments on designations and COMMISSIONS ex-
pired, ., SOB; appointments on removals and
suspensions, !, 564; appointments on change
of names and sites, 4S2 appointments on
deaths of postmasters, $50 total number
of appointments of poStmaSterS of all grades
during the year. 1909 for the years 1885
and 1886, 22, I4T and 9,547 respectively
making n total of Is, 373 for the three years
of Democratic Administration, which |
think is pretty fair showing from purely
partisan standpoint. Your correspondent
believes that the boys in the trenches
should fili the offices
The great and good work of reclaiming
public lands from the grasping and greedy
railroad corporations who have forfeited
their chartered rights, still goes on keeping
step 10 the music of reform and the rights
of the people. The most important decision
of this kind given in years was rendered by
the Secretary of the Interior few days
since, revoking the order of his Republican
prenecessor, which withdrew from settle
ment the Presumption and Homestead laws,
the lands cunditionally granted by Congress
10 the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Com.
pany-amounting 10 twenty-five or thirty
million acres of land, in this case alone
the order applies 10 several other railroads
rs well and il is ut present impossible Ia
name the vast number of acres a'idod to
the public domain. Every honest western
settler will now be moved 10 toss his hat
and hands and enthusiastically ''hooray for
Lamar, who thus courageously pestorms a
great public duty that enshrineS his name
among the gods of their humble households.
The death of Professor Spencer f. Baird,
Secretary of Smithsonian Institution, and
Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, is one
of the greatest calamities that cohld befall
the world of science. He devoted n long
and useful life 10 scientific researches and
literary labors. and his works on Natural
History and science, entitle him 10 rank
with Audu bon and Agassiz, with both of
whom he has been associated in their favor
ite fields ofendeavor. Professor Baird was
truly n benefactor of his race, for TO him the
people o. the United States are chiefly in
debted for the upbuilding of the Fish
Commission, the propagation of fish in all
their waters, and the consequent cheapening
of that excellent article of food
The people of the District of Columbia
are still groaning under their burden of
burden of debt and protesting against their
forms of government-given them by the
Republicans which Is taxation without
representation. They are carrying debt
of more than 81, 900, ,000-comsuning a
million and quarter annually in interest
and sinking fund, and the District of
Columbia would have been bankrupt long
since. bEt for the fact that the United States
bears half the expenses of the government.
One public meeting after another is being
held, and if agitation will accomplish any
thing relief from existing evils may be had
of the next Congress.